Paul Collingwood returns to England's one-day side against South Africa today after the completion of a four-match ban reaffirming that there was no pact, or even discussion, between himself and Michael Vaughan that caused both to resign from their respective roles as England's Test and one-day captains within a matter of hours.

That one England captain could step down in midsummer pleading exhaustion is concern enough. For two to reach the same decision, entirely independently, should have been cause for a major inquiry, were it not for the fact that it conveniently allowed the ECB to proclaim a fresh start and appoint Kevin Pietersen to both jobs.

If only one captain had resigned, the likelihood was that the other would have remained - with the ECB reluctant to follow their instinct and proclaim an immediate fresh start. The Age of Pietersen, which has brought introductory victories in both the Test and 50-overs format, came about, as so many of the most momentous decisions do, largely through good fortune. Pietersen, who has singlemindedly asserted his right to lead from the outset, would not have settled easily into a split captaincy.

It was an invigorated Collingwood who at Trent Bridge, before today's second NatWest ODI, reflected upon the assumption that the double resignation must have been somehow prearranged. "Michael's resignation was a complete shock," he said. "I obviously knew that I was going on the Saturday night and when he came off the field at Headingley and said 'I am off' I thought: 'Oh, bloody hell, there are two captains going. It doesn't look too good.' It was pure coincidence. We communicate all the time. I knew that he was struggling but I never had an inkling that he was going to give it up."

Collingwood was struggling just as much. He had only been in the job since England's failure in the World Cup forced Vaughan's retirement from one-day internationals, but it had drained him in barely a year as much as Vaughan was drained in five.

"I just wanted to go back into the ranks and enjoy my cricket because it was getting to the point where I was going on to the cricket field and not enjoying it," he said. "I've never been that kind of character to dislike the game. It was starting to really get to me. I can't wait to stand at backward point, not think about where the fielders go, whether to bring a man in, who is coming on to bowl - it's going to be nice."

Collingwood's cricketing ethics had been questioned when he failed to recall Grant Elliott during an ODI against New Zealand at The Oval after he collided with Ryan Sidebottom - a decision that was symptomatic of his state of mind. "Decisions like that can haunt you afterwards and they added to my lack of mental energy," he said. Then he was banned for four matches as the captain of an England side bowling an unacceptably slow over-rate.

But it was his lack of form that hurt most. He had gone 25 innings without a century, and his reclassification as a one-day specialist was imminent. With the money available in one-day cricket, some players of 32 would have shrugged it off. But Collingwood had other ideas. He privately decided to resign on the first day of the Oval Test and immediately hit a career-saving hundred.

"I have grown up wanting to play Test cricket for England and that was about to be taken away from us," he said. "I have always been good at getting away from the game in between series, getting time off, and I just felt that the captaincy never really allows you to switch off and recharge the batteries. When you come close to losing your Test spot it hits you hard.

"I generally have to put a lot of hard work and effort into the game on its own to stay at the top level. Everybody keeps saying that I haven't got the most ability in the world and it might be true. I have to put a lot of mental energy into it.

"The funny thing is we're always asked to be 100% all of the time and, whether it is subconscious or not, we've got a big Ashes series coming up. Maybe subconsciously you try and peak at the right time."